1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to keyboard apparatus and, in a preferred embodiment thereof, more particularly relates to a computer keyboard in which some or all of its keys are operative to output a plurality of different keystroke signals corresponding to differing user keystroke force ranges used to depress the keys.
2. Description of Related Art
In conventional computer keyboards the manual depression of a given key through its operating stroke, without some supplemental action taken by the computer user, generates a single output function signal. For example, depression of the "A" key with no other action taken by the user outputs a keystroke signal which is utilized by the computer to generate the lower case letter "a" on the computer display screen. If the user wants the selected letter capitalized, he must take a supplemental action to achieve the desired result. For example, he must hold down the shift key while depressing the "A" key, toggle the "Caps Lock" key before striking the "A" key, or make an appropriate format selection in the particular word processing program that he is using.
Similar supplemental actions must be taken to change the nature of the keystroke output signal generated in response to the depression of a character key to, for example, bold, italicize, underline or otherwise change the displayed image associated with the key. Function keys (such as the F1-F12 keys) on conventional computer keyboards are also subject to this same "single function" limitation when they are depressed without any supplemental action taken by the computer user such as depressing the "Shift", "Ctrl" or "Alt" keys while depressing a selected function key.
While this conventional approach of requiring a user to take a supplemental action (in addition to simply depressing a selected key) to alter the base keystroke output signal of a key serves its intended purpose of expanding the overall usefulness of a given number of keys on a particular keyboard, it can be somewhat confusing for beginning computer users while at the same time being cumbersome for even experienced computer users familiar with the various operation combinations required to vary the output signal of a given keyboard key.
From the foregoing it can be seen that a need exists for a simpler procedure to selectively vary the output signal of a selected key on the keyboard of a computer or other electronic device. It is to this need which the present invention is directed.